Cocktails 101: The Old Fashioned

The beginner's guide to grown-up cocktails gets classy with a classic drink.

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Like schoolyard games or punk rock, the history of the Old Fashioned cocktail is the dispiriting tale of something freewheeling and fun becoming stodgy and dull as more and more rules are added. The earliest descriptions of the Old Fashioned display a creativity that allowed for anything from rye to brandy to gin as base with whatever bitters you happened to have, some water, and a little sugar — an easy-drinking cocktail with plenty of room for experimentation and invention.

Nowadays, though, you'll find plenty of people — in bar guides and on the internet mostly — who will tell you that an Old Fashioned has to be bourbon or rye, Angostura bitters, water, a sugar cube, a maraschino cherry, a twist of lemon, and a slice of orange. Don't believe their lies! That's a fussy drink. YOUR Old Fashioned should be just as fun and cool as you are.

Whiskey, bitters, water, sugar. Those are the basics of the Old Fashioned. Experiment from there. To get you started, here's a classic recipe with smoky bourbon, the floral notes of Peychaud's bitters, a hint of sugar, and a couple of twists to keep it bright. And remember, rules were meant to be broken.

In a mixing glass (a pint glass will do nicely if you don't have one), combine the sugar cube, water, and bitters. Crush the sugar cube and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add bourbon, a twist of orange, and ice, and stir a bit more, until mixture is well chilled. Strain into a glass with fresh ice and garnish with a twist of orange zest.